Difference between Payback and Frequency in a Slot Machine

When you consider slot machines, there are two important terms, which people often find rather similar, but are actually not!

The two terms that are mistook regularly are Payback and Frequency. Let’s take a look at how they are different.

Payback vs. Frequency

What is Payback?

The role of payback is long term and refers to the complete percentage of earnings or returns that a player gets from a slot machine. The casino gets to make a decision regarding the payouts in this matter.

This is made possible by the computer chip installed inside the slot machine by the manufacturer. The earnings in figures get automated on this chip. This payout percentage to the players can be approximately between 75 and 99%.

In some states, there is a rule for a specific minimum percentage of payout that has to be returned to the players by the slot machine. Machines, which give small returns to the players, are known as tight machines. While, those which provide higher returns are called loose machines.

For marketing their casinos, some of online casinos advertise that theirs is the loosest slot machine in the city. Many players throng to such sites to take advantage because they can win higher paybacks!

Casinos are also known to popularise and encourage people to play specific slots with greater payouts like 98% or 99% by declaring their payback percentages. So, when they talk about some specific slots, they do not mean that all their slots have high repayment.

Casinos are also known to use little tricks to fool their players. They display two exactly similar slot machines side by side, but with different payouts. This can confuse the players and they may end up opting for the tight slot machine. So it’s always advisable to check this fact beforehand.

Experienced players suggest not dealing in cold slots, which don’t return much. These slot machines have a very less frequency in repaying coins and a terrible payback percentage.

What is Frequency?

So basically, frequency is referred to the proportion of spins available to the players. This is determined by observing or calculating the number of times symbols are seen on the wheels and how frequent do they form winning combinations.

Slot machines that have a low hit frequency may present a winning combination after an interval of every 10 spins or more. On the other hand, slot machines that have high frequency show up winning combinations every three spins on an average.

Interestingly, the low hit frequency machine rewards big wins often, and high hit frequency machine rewards smaller wins often. But this factor does not have any bearing on the overall payout percentage of the slot machine.

The exact percentage of payouts in a machine cannot be calculated by the players because it is set inside the casino slot machine.

The frequency can only be observed and known on an estimate through the machine’s pay table. If there are more small wins with more winning combinations, then the slot has a higher frequency compared to the one with higher wins with lesser combinations.

Final Thoughts…

It totally depends on you to choose a slot machine with high valued wins or higher number of wins. Payouts are meant for longer runs, so, choose a slot wisely, which is the most entertaining as well!